Carnival Faster to the Fun
 

.Faster To The Fun! (one pass per stateroom)

{currently Imagination and Liberty are the test markets}

When did they start this- today?

Announced today, begins in a couple of weeks:
Carnival Cruise Lines News

So, for $49.95 everyone in a cabin can get better perks than those of Platinum and Diamond members in Carnival's repeaters club :)

Heald says platinum and diamond members don't have to pay the fee.

Nope. They can subsidize my perks. rofl

As Diamond, I still get guaranteed dining times and Captains invite and unlimited laundry and a party or two, and...

Yes, the laundry and VIFP party are extra perks. But for the $49.95 they get immediate access to their cabin, and priority delivery on their luggage, as well as the priority embark.

Considering that pricing is per person, not per cabin... for many of the perks I'd say they are paying much less than most did to get to Platinum or Diamond.

Perhaps Carnival will extend the "extra perks" to those repeaters too

Plus, they are adding people to the "priority boarding" areas, which are sometimes already overly busy.

Actually pricing is per cabin since only one person has to book it for the entire cabin to get it.

Holland America already guarantees this for everyone as early as 11:30 shipwide.

But I still think its a good idea - but you certainly do have a point that it conflicts with the loyalty members.

Once again, it is about making money. I almost hate to say this but watch for this - an annual fee to maintain your loyaty membership status - but they add more perks like this one for everyone.

That's what I meant to say, I just typed the opposite rofl

Indeed, and it covers everyone, at no extra fee.

And isn't it Princess (know it's someone - "oldtimes disease" setting in :) ) who allows passengers to pay extra to stay on the ship later into the day on the day they disembark.

The things Carnival has been doing lately really have to make you scratch your head.

Actually there will be a separate check in area per John Heald (who once again got blindsided).

For some time I have suggested Carnival do away with the Loyalty Program since there were so many whiners and complainers. They went one better - found a way to level the playing field somewhat, subsidize my perks, AND probably make money to boot.

I think it will be a big seller but lines won't be too bad since it will be capacity controlled.

I don't believe the "capacity controlled" crap. If they are already selling the FTTF, how do they know how many Platinum/Diamond members will book between now and the sailing date?

I am also a Platinum (just short of Diamond) member, and I am not going to go bonkers over this as many are over at the Blog. We will also get the Early cabin access and luggage delivery without having to pay for it. My only concerns are,upon arrival at the pier, the FTTF people being channeled thru the VIP line security scanner, (at least initially), creating a bottleneck. Also how many people can have priority tendering? With those that have early shore excursions, Platinum / Diamond members, and now FTTF people, I guess the first 4 or 5 tenders will be "priority" tenders!! I can see arguments occuring over this!! I know that this doesn't affect the majority of cruises, but will be an issue to me in some ports. HMC & Grand Cayman come to mind. Other than that, I'm OK with it. :roll:

Since (supposedly) the whole purpose of the new Loyalty Program,

which demoted Milestone back to Platinum and made Platium and Diamond harder to reach,

was because the current number was "unsustainable" (according to Carnival).....

just trying to figure out how Carnival selling MORE spots jives with their reasoning for all the previous cuts???

Leave it to Carnival to say "scratch our back (by booking cruises) and we will scratch yours (with perks) and really mean....

"scratch our back and we will put a knife in yours...for the right price"

According to the FAQ about the new program Platinum & Diamond guests will receive all the FTTF perks.

Similar to what they do with some shore excursions now.

Only sell a certain number of packages and save the rest for closer to the sail date when you do have good numbers (vs holding back some shore excursion tickets for sail on the ship).

Just one observation - Milestone never was a level.

The perks that weren't sustainable were unlimited Platinum laundry and guaranteed dining reservations.

Laundry isn't included in the perks for sale program and dining reservations are priority - not guaranteed.

Diamond members still have unlimited laundry and guaranteed dining reservations. So trump both Platinum and the new program.

As always, it is always subject to change, with or without notice, with or without cause.

Wasn't John just talking about Carnival making the room available for everyone by noon???

If they are going to do that anyway....how is that a new "perk" for F2F and VIP???

My guess is that they will NOT be opening the general cabins early.

I think that once guests see others going to cabins early they will follow irregardless of their status or time of day.

You are so right - At some point we all get tired of having the knife put in our back.

Milestone was never a level - only to you and Carnival. Everyone else knew it was a level.

Then everyone else was mistaken. It was clearly identified as a separate program on the Carnival website.

Another Carnival FUBAR. The cheerleaders will no doubt continue to cheer.

I agree completely.......so tired of my perks being diluted......I think I'll save myself some money (in the form of not buying 3 or 4 drinks upon boarding) and start getting to the pier around 2pm.

We may have been mistaken as to the letter of the law, but the application of the law was that those of us that are milestone were being treated as though it was a separate level....

Well, I consider myself a cheerleader up to this point, but I'm really starting to shake my head.....not thrilled that there will be even more people in the security line or at the VIP line at guest services.......as for the rooms being ready and early luggage......that's never been a concern for me...

The worst part of cruising for me is getting through security, standing in the guest services line and VIP debarkation........all of which are now going to be even worse........

My main complaint all along as been that Carnival has a history of NOT being able to manage things like this well....

and guess what....

I just posted the loophole on John's Facebook page that proves my point.

Currently at Carnival if ONE VIP wants to....they can bring as many NON VIP cabins with them that they want to...

how? All they have to do is secure the Sail and Sign cards of these extra cabins with their credit card.

EVERYONE secured under a credit card must check in together....
this kind of cheating in the VIP lounge has been going on for years.


Guess what....ONE cabin buys the F2F and now brings as many other cabins with them as they want to BECAUSE.....they have secured their Sail and Sign cards with the one credit card.

Then AFTER they have gotten the special embarkion....they go Guest Services and change their Sail and Sign accounts.....

So there is NO WAY Carnival can control the capacity of this new program...

now this is yet another example of Carnival NOT knowing what they are doing...


OR another example of Carnival knowing that what they are telling VIP folks is not true..... yet again!!

Sadly most of us know... it is probably the latter.....

EXACTLY

And Zydeco knows this.

Old news.

Meanwhile I believe I'll wait until the program is implemented on a cruise I am on before judging it.

I'll wait for facts and not rumors. Believing rumors can get you into trouble every time.